BOILING SPRINGS, N.C. – Seeking to continue its momentum from Friday night's victory and build upon the strong pitching performances and timely hitting from game one of its series with Gardner-Webb, USC Upstate baseball did itself one better with stellar pitching and continued timely hitting in a shutout victory Saturday.
Setting the tone for the Spartans on their way to a 4-0 victory, junior left-hander
Henry Proger crafted the best start in an Upstate uniform as he worked a career-long 8.0 innings while striking out a career-best 10, combining with redshirt sophomore
Jake Cubbler for a five-hit shutout. Proger scattered five hits and six baserunners as he earned his seventh win of the season, with he and Cubbler each pitching in their second shutouts, respectively.
Recording a team-high three hits Saturday, sophomore shortstop
Cole Caruso picked up his first career two-double game with his first leading to Upstate's first run, working his way further into scoring position on a wild pitch before an opposite-field single from redshirt junior rightfielder
Daniel Gernon opened the game's scoring. The Spartans produced their second run with a similar opening as junior second baseman
Easton Cullison doubled before stealing third and scoring on a sac fly from sophomore centerfielder
Kyle Henington. The final runs of the game were scored via a wild pitch and subsequent throwing error with the bases loaded.
Game Information
Score: USC Upstate 4; Gardner-Webb 0
Records: USC Upstate (31-16; 16-4 Big South); Gardner-Webb (27-18; 12-8 Big South)
Location: Bill Masters Field at John Henry Moss Stadium | Boiling Springs, N.C.
Scoring Summary
- T3: Following a one-out double, Cole Caruso advanced to third on a wild pitch before scoring as Daniel Gernon punched a single to the opposite field, starting the game's scoring.
- T4: Putting a second run on the scoreboard, Easton Cullison doubled with one out in the fourth before stealing third, putting himself 90 feet from scoring. He'd come into score on a sac fly to center from Kyle Henington, pushing the advantage to two.
- T9: For the second straight game, Upstate scored in the ninth as a wild pitch with the bases loaded allowed the first run of the inning to score, allowing Caruso to score. The second came across as an errant throw to the plate to prevent the first run with Gernon scoring.
Notable
- Upstate's 4-0 shutout victory Saturday over Gardner-Webb marked the team's third shutout victory of the year, joining the team's 9-0 win over Northwestern on Feb. 26 and 2-0 win over Longwood on April 6. Combining for Saturday's shutout, Henry Proger and Jake Cubbler pitched in their second shutouts of the season, becoming the first Spartans since Alex Garbrick, Jordan Marks, and Sawyer Worrell in 2021 to pitch in multiple shutouts in a season.
- Striking out 10 batters over 8.0 innings of work Saturday, Proger secured his first career double-digit strikeout game and the Spartans' second of the season, joining Reese Dutton's 11-strikeout game against Cincinnati on March 16. The 2023 season marks the first season since 2021 with multiple individual double-digit strikeout games and the first season since 2020 (Ben Ferrer [13 K vs. Long Island on Feb. 15, 2020] and Jordan Marks [10 K vs. Western Kentucky on Feb. 28, 2020]) with multiple players registering a double-digit strikeout game.
- Stealing a pair of bases Saturday, Upstate pushed its season stolen base total to 87 steals in 104 attempts with the 87 steals marking the program's Division I era (2007-pres.) record for single-season steals. Adding his 19th steal of the season, Easton Cullison sits one steal shy of registering the second 20-steal season in the program's D1 era.
- Earning the second start of his career against Gardner-Webb, Jake Armsey collected his first career multi-hit game, picking up a pair of hits Saturday.
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